Combined cigarette extinguisher and ash tray



Jan. 24, 1950 2,495,496

COMBINED CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY C. A. T. AGEE'.

2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1945 INVENTOR BY 69424554 7/465:

ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1950 c. A 'r. AGEE COMBINED CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1945 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1950 OFFICE COMBINED CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY 7 Charles T. Agee, Collingswood, N. J. Application Januaryifi, 1945, Serial No. 571,607

7 Claims. (Cl. 131235) This invention relates to combined cigarette extinguishers and ash trays.

Both from the standpoint of fire hazard as well as from annoyance to the olfactory nerves of those present, a smouldering cigarette stump is at least undesirable, and positive extinction of all cigarettes before disposition in an ash tray is very advantageous.

In my earlier patent, No.2,256/l20, of September 16, 1941, these advantages of complete and prompt cigarette extinction are stressed and enlarged upon, anda system is proposed which has given excellent results. It has been found, however, that there are certain more or less disadvantageous features in the earlier construction, which includes complexity of structure and therefore unnecessary expense, usual requirement for use of at least three fingers for successful operation, and the necessity for bringing a slot in an area of unslotted material extendingon each side of the slot under an aperture to permit the extinguished cigarette to drop into a receptacle.

It is among the objects of this invention: to improve the art of cigarette extinguishers; to avoid disadvantages of my earlier patent aforee said; to improve the appearance of the combined instrumentality as recited; to'provide a device controlled by a lever action by an arm slidable in a vertical slot in place of the plunger device of the past; to provide a simple and cheap combined extinguisher and ash tray; to provide a cheap combined extinguisher and tray which can be made of plastics as well as of metal or other suitable material, if desired; and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this description:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective of the preferred form of the combined instrumentality of the invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical section therethrough. Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig.. 2. Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary section taken on line 5 -5 of Fig.3. Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig. '7 represents a fragmentary transverse section through a modified form of actuating device mounting.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises an open ended tray [0 comprising a rim l I and depending skirt l2 to which by any suitable means, the receptacle l4 of any desired shape or capacity can be removably attached. Illustratively as illustrated in detail in Fig. 5, the locking device comprises a stud 9 on the receptacle l4, removably engaging an aperture l3 on the skirt l2. The rim is bisected fore and aft by a median leg or rib I5 extending from the inner side of the front portion of the rim to a rearrim protuberance [6 comprising the transversely oval portions l1 and I8, symmetrical of the leg I5, and having the transversely spaced apertures 28 and 2!. Cigarette-stump receiving cylinders 22 and 23 are slidably mounted in the respective apertures and each is threaded into respective threaded apertures IS in the plate 24 of a casting. The casting has integral portions 26 disposed between the plate 24 and the under surface of the enlargement l6 and are held tightly thereagainst by shoulders 21 on the threaded tubes 22 and 23 bearing against the outer surface of the portions 16. A slide or false bottom 28 is provided having an elongated guide slot 353 longitudinally dis-posed to be engaged by a supporting and connecting screw 3| having an enlarged head 32 engaging the lower surface of the slide 28v to hold the slide against the lower surface of the plate 24. The slide has a flattened front edge 33, provided with two semi-cylindrical scallops 34, arranged, in the fully retracted position of the slide, to register with both apertures l9 and thus to permit cigarette stumps which had rested against the slide to drop through into the receptacle l4 below. The slide has a reduced neck portion 35disposed in parallel spaced alignment with the median rib I5 for a short distance so as to be substantially covered by the latter in vertical projection, and has a working slot 36 in alignment with its guide slot 30. 7

In order to provide a simple single actuating element for controlling the position of the slide 28, the side walls 31 and'38 of the median rib are extended to form a pair of spaced apertured ears 40. A bell crank lever M has one arm 42 working in the slot36 and the other arm 43v projecting through andguided by a vertical slot 44 in the skirt [2 of the tray It. The bell crank is journalled on a pivot pin 45 extending between theears 40 by means of a pivotal sleeve 46 on the bell crank. The pinv45, mayv comprise a rivet or a bolt and nut arrangement or the like. If desired, the bell crank can be mounted on a sepa rate mounting agency 49 and the latter removably disposed on the median rib I5 as shown in Fig. '7. A thumb or finger piece 41 is mounted on the free end of bell crank arm 43 and it will be seen that the finger piece can be elevated and the bell crank swung to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, as a simple' one finger manipulation, or as a simple squeeze between the finger piece 4'! and the upper surface of the tray l0, if the combined device is not anchored to a rigid support.

To return the slide 28 to its normally closed position while also repositioning the bell crank lever handle for operation toward slide retraction, a tension spring 48 is connected at one end to some fixed point on the median rib such as to the bracket 50 either struck out of or attached to the rib, and to the bell crank arm 42.

It will be understood that in many cases the device will be formed of molded plastic, although metal or even glass for certain parts maybe preferred for certain types of uses.

Preferably, the device is fastened-to adesk or built into or fastened on automotive equipment or the like so as to afiord a rigidsupport.

The user of the device after lighting a cigarette and smoking as much thereof as is desired, simply drops the stump or butt lighted end foremost into one or the other'of'the'cylindrical-tubesiz or 23 until the lighted end abuts thefalsebottom comprised of the solid portion of the slide 28, in which position, without any grinding-or force upon the exposed outer endof the stump, owing to the'relatively close diametric relationship of the'cigarette and the tube the light is promptly extinguished by lack of support for combustion. This may take amere two or threeseconds. Pursuant-to extinction thereof the-user then simply flips upthe handle 41 retractingthe slide ZB-until the semicylindrical scallops register withthe' serni-cylindrical half of either the through'aperture l9 ad jacent to the screw 3| of'the tube 22 or 23 upon the attainment of which position the extinguished cigarette stump drops down'through the registering cylinder'22 or 23, aperture l9, scallop 34, and into thereceptacle- M. smouldering is impossible and the fire hazard is-minimized.

Obviously, the exact number'of stump-receiving tubes operable by a single slide device as shown need not be the exactnumber illustrated, asthere may be more orless, as the occasion de mands.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray, a casting comprising a plate and spacing'means, said spacing means on the casting extending between'the' plate and the undersurface of the tray, said tray having an aperture and said plate having a threaded aperture, a tube having a shoulder and a threaded end and disposed in the aperture in the tray and threaded into the aperthe under side of the tray while engaging the shoulder against the outer surface thereof, and a false bottom slidable on the'plate to cover and ,uncover the tubeand threaded opening in the plate.

2. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray, a casting comprising a plate and spacing means, said spacing means on the-casting extending between the plate and the under surface of the tray, said tray having an aperture and said plate 'ture in the plate to anchor the plate and tray together by 'forcing said spacing means against bottom having a working slot, a bell crank lever pivoted to the tray having one arm riding in said vertical slot and the other arm riding in said working slot, and resilient means urging the slidable bottom toward closure of the opening of the tube and threaded opening.

3. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray having a strengthening rib dividing the tray into spaced ashxreceiving openings, means establishing a cigarette extinguishing tube with an axis substantially normal to a plane of the rib, a slide,

means for supporting the slide for guided movements in a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rib to open and close the bottom of the tube, and means pivoted on and substantially concealed by the rib when viewed from directly-overhead 'for actuating the slide, said pivotedmeans being on a pivot axis parallel to said plane.

.4. Acigarette extinguisher comprising a tray having a strengthening rib dividing the tray into spaced ash receiving openings, means establishing a cigarette extinguishing tube with an axis substantially normal to a plane of the rib, a slide, means for supporting the slide for guided movements in a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rib to open and close the bottom of the tube, means pivoted on and substantially concealed by the rib when viewed from directly overhead for actuating the slide, said pivoted means beingon a'rpivot axis parallel to said plane, said pivoted means comprising-a bell crank lever pivoted to the rib inwardly of the tray edges, means engaging one arm of the bell crank with the slide to move same as the b'ell'crank is swung, and means for actuating the other arm of the bell crank by the operator.

5. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray having a strengthening rib dividingthe tray into spaced ash receiving openings, means establishtudinal axis of said rib to open and close the bottom of the tube, and means pivoted on and substantially concealed by the rib when viewed from directly overhead for actuating the slide, said pivoted means being on a pivot axis parallel to said plane, said slide having a solid portion to close the tube bottom and having an edge provided with a semi-cylindrical recess arranged to register with the correspondingly curved portion of the tube in the retracted position of the slide to permit an extinguished cigarette to fall through the tube.

6. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray having a strengthening rib dividing the tray into spaced ash receiving openings, means establishing a cigarette extinguishing tube with an axis substantially normal to a plane of the rib, a slide, means .iorls-upporting the slide for guided movements in a, line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rib to open and close the bottomof the tube, and means pivoted on and substantially concealed by the rib when viewed from directly overhead for, actuating the slide, said pivoted means- -being on a ,pivot axis parallel to said plane, said. tray having a depending skirt with avertical slot, said slide having a longitudinal slot, and said means for actuating the slidecomprising a bell crank lever having one arm guided in the vertical slot and the other working in the longitudinal slot, and being pivoted to the rib on said. tray.

7. A cigarette extinguisher comprising a tray having a'st'rengthening rib di "ding the tray into spacedasligreceiving opening "means establishing a cig rette extinguishing itube with an axis substantially normal to a plane of the rib, a slide, means for supporting the slide for guided movements in a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rib to open and close the bottom of the tube, means pivoted on and substantially concealed by the rib when viewed from directly overhead for actuating the slide, said pivoted means being on a pivot axis parallel to said plane, said tray having 'ga depending skirt with a vertical slot, said slideihaving a horizontal slot, and said means for actuating the slide comprisingfa bell crank lever having one arm guided in the vertical slot and the other working in the horizontal slot, and being pivoted on the rib on said tray, and a tension spring to pull the slide in one direction. v

CHARLEfifA. T. AGE.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

